14

2013

ISSUE

13th September

Prayer of the Week

Birthday Wishes
Mitchell Thomson 19th September

Karakia for Justice Father, you have given all peoples one common origin. It is your will that they be gathered together as one family in yourself. Fill the hearts of mankind with the fire of your love and with the desire to ensure justice for all. By sharing the good things you give us, may we secure an equality for all our brothers and sisters throughout the world. May there be an end to division, strife and war. May there be a dawning of a truly human society built on love and peace. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

Gospel Values for Term Three: Honesty and Pride

Quote of the Week

Love your enemies. It makes them so damned mad. P.D. East

Quote of the Month

When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile. - Unknown

Poem of the Week

Whakatauki Korihi ake ng manu Tkiri mai te ata Ka ao, ka ao, ka awatea! Thei mauri ora. The birds call The day begins And I am alive. Meaning: With the dawn comes a sense of well-being and optimism.
Damage to the trees around the playground from Tuesdays wind storm.

School News
Subway Tuesday 17 September. office classrooms Working Bee Sunday 22nd September to clean up after the wind storm. All from firewood that help. Book Club Scholastic book orders are due back at school by 25th September. Whole School Parish Mass This is to be held on Sunday 16th June. All students and their immediate families are expected to attend, students are to be in their correct school uniform. Thank You ODonnoll for to Bill his help would be free those appreciated. 11am, for all Starting Forms and
th

are the

available from the school

11:00am on Sunday the 22nd of September (Next Sunday) For the overly enthusiastic (those with very large chainsaws) we also need the remains of a willow tree (at the rear of the property) ringed as well. With a bit of luck, we might even be able to fire up the bbq and convince someone to cook on it. Americas Cup Great to see Team New Zealand looking so professional and polished in their challenge for the Americas Cup. I sincerely hope that they can bring the cup back to New Zealand because they certainly deserve it. I acknowledge that its a rich mans sport and that the money spent on it exceeds the income of many small countries, but it is also a measure of the determination, skill and resourcefulness of our small country. To take such a prestigious symbol of affluence and unbridled wealth from an American organisation worth an estimated US$280 Billion illustrates how clever our Kiwi yachtsmen are. To the purists that say that Y eah, but its not sailing! These yachts are powered by wind pushing the sails. That is sailing. Of course, sailing these behemoths is not like trailer sailing. The best analogy is that its more akin to driving an F15 vs driving a 1956 Austin A40 with dirty sparkplugs. Either way; Team New Zealand only needs to win 3 more races. Good luck. School Parish Mass Yet another reminder that this Sunday is our school-parish Mass. We are all expected to attend. All students must attend, in full school uniform. Ideally they will all sit together at the front on the left hand side. Feel free to sit with your children though and help

out with singing. Some students will also have roles to play in the Mass. Staffroom We now have students using the staff kitchen every day of the week to heat noodles, savouries or other food. Aside from the congestion in the staff room, this also creates an extraordinary amount of dishes. This presents several problems. Firstly, most of the students that bring noodles etc to school for lunch are unable to safely use the microwave or Zip water heater, so this has to be done by a staff member. I do not expect my staff members to use their valuable time prepping students food. It is not in the job description for anyone at this school. However, we all do so to ensure that the kids do eat, and to also hurry along the removal of the students from the staff room as it is a Staff room, not a student kitchen. Secondly; students unwrapping noodles and pies etc have an amazing ability to disperse food particles over quite a large area. There is nothing like having the staffroom floor littered with crunched up dried noodles to make me appreciate the benefits of non-processed lunches. Thirdly; It is also not in our job descriptions to be doing dishes for the students that bring food that needs heating along. This takes up our valuable time and as we actively try to encourage students to take responsibility for themselves, they are not gaining much experience from this arrangement. The only option that I see as reasonable and workable is that if students are to be allowed to continue using the staffroom and the dishes, then those students should be rostered to do staffroom duty,

Principals Commentary:
Wind: Phew. Thank goodness thats over. The school has thankfully come out relatively unscathed with only minor tree damage. Unfortunately, many families have lost sheds, trees, trampolines, fences and some are still without electricity as of today. Yes, there may be some damage to our pockets, but thankfully there were no injuries, or worse. Working Bee As the wind did cause several trees to topple at the school and they are endangering our playground area, we are in the process of having them felled properly. They will probably end up partly lying alongside the boundary fence and partly inside the neighbours yard. Consequently, we will require a bit of a chainsaw working bee to remove the trees and branches from the neighbours property and to chop it all up into rings. We will need at least 6 chainsaws and several stackers. As there is a bit of a glut in the firewood market at the moment, we dont require the firewood, so please bring along a trailer if you have one and take a load with you. Free firewood for all those that help as much as you can carry. Start time:

continued support of our school with his donations from His selling firewood. is generosity

gratefully appreciated. Thank you To the Cunningham Family for their donation of sports and music equipment. Continued support from past families shows what a great school we have.

including dishes.

including dishes. I will put out a survey before the end of the term about this with a range of options for your consideration. The only alternative is that (like many other schools) we go back to not allowing students to bring unprepared food or to use the staffroom facilities. There are health and safety implications behind this, which is why so many other schools dont allow it anyway. Student-led conferences Student-led conferences are an important opportunity for kids to communicate with their parents and whanau what it is that they do and what they see that they have learned over the year. Historically, children didnt have any input into what was communicated between the school and the home about

them the learners. They had no say about what they learned or how much they learned. One of the many outcomes of student-led-conferences is that the students are at the centre of the reporting process. They are telling you what they have learned not the teacher telling you what they have taught: and there is usually a vast difference between the two viewpoints. They are also showcasing their learning, progress and achievements by how they deliver their conference, rather than you just reading a cold paper report that tells you in data form what has happened. They are using oral language, visual language, computer and presenting skills simply by delivering the conference. The conferences are run by each student, usually 2 or 3 at a

time in each classroom. The classroom teacher does not interfere or take over. All questions should be directed at the student as it is their conference. These conferences are incredibly good confidence boosters for your child. We will send out a list of questions that you might want to ask during the conference. These are questions that will help stimulate conversation and discussion about learning. We will send out a conference booking sheet next week for you to secure your spot. Just my views folks. Dont be offended. Naku noa na Darcy Kemp Principal St Patricks School Waimate

Community Notices
Meadow Stickers Downs from school yoghurts etc. Fresh Waihao is If

collecting these stickers you would like to donate please drop them off to Waimate Outdoors. Spring Carnival St Josephs Pleasant holding School Point their in are annual

spring carnival. Held on Sunday 15th September from 11.00am to 3pm. Aerobadance mix of aerobics songs. and dance to fun choreographed

Tekapo
What a great trip to Tekapo we had last Friday. No serious injuries were recorded, but plenty of laughs were had by all students and adults. It was great to see students giving everything from the skating to the snow tubing a go and then having a relaxing time in the hot pools even when the rain starting coming down. Thank you to all those parents who took their vehicles, without this generosity these trips would not be possible.

Commencing

Term 4 at Personal Best Fitness Studio, Seadown on Wednesdays 4.00 4.45 for ages 8-12. $65 per term. More at information z Junior Golf Junior

www.personalbest.net.n

challenge series held in the school holidays for golfers under 19. Played over 4 days at 4 different courses around South Canterbury. Entry fee is $10 per player for 18 holes for supper or 9 $5 per player and holes. will be More contact

Everybody wins a prize provided. information 004.

Graham Keen 021 326

The Beatitudes Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek; for they shall possess the land. Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice; for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart; for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. May the Year of Faith be a time for all Catholics to renew their desire and zeal for the Eucharist and to avail themselves regularly of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance. During this Year of Faith, may all Catholics publically proclaim their love for Christ and his Church. May this Year of Faith remind us of ways to serve those in our midst who are overlooked, ignored or rejected, so that all may experience the peace and healing of Christs love. May the Holy Spirit guide the Church during the Year of Faith so that all Catholics may experience a deepened renewal of faith, hope and love. May young people be inspired by this Year of Faith to listen attentively and respond to Gods call to priesthood and religious life.

St Patrick School would like to thank the following sponsors

Caf on Queen
Caf and Wine Bar Open 7 days 25 Queen Street Ph: (03) 689 6010
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